Chocolate chip cookie recipe with coconut oil

Deliciously crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside: Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies plus all my tips and tricks to make these cookies delicious every time!

After you’re hooked on these cookies, make sure to try some other reader favorites: Snickerdoodle Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies, or Peanut Butter Blossoms!

And today we’ve got a BONUS cookie in the Christmas cookie series. These seemingly “regular” chocolate chip cookies come with a twist — replacing coconut oil for part of the butter! These cookies are incredible — one of my favorites I’ve shared to date. The coconut oil gives them an incredible depth of flavor (while also adding in a few health benefits!), there are two kinds of chocolate, and they’re overall pretty simple to make. Plus, I’m sharing a couple of “secrets” to making these cookies have the perfect texture!

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some fun appetizers for NYE and after that, we’ve got a whole slew of healthy meals, sides, (and even a couple of healthy desserts) coming your way in January.  Don’t miss out! 🙂

So, first things first, when making cookies:

For years, I’ve been searching for my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I want outrageously delicious bakery-style chocolate chip cookies that completely capture my attention upon first bite. I want a chewy middle, barely crisp edges, complex flavor, and rich chocolate chips.

I want all of that in a cookie recipe that’s easy to make. No mixer required. No creaming of softened-but-not-too-soft butter. No chilling the dough for 24 hours. I don’t have the patience for any of that. Sometimes a girl just needs a cookie!

These chocolate chip cookies are the best homemade chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. My cookie search is over.

These cookies are so delicious and supremely easy to make. The dough needs a very reasonable 30-minute chill in the refrigerator, and let me tell you, they’re worth the brief wait.

Also amazing? These cookies are (shockingly) vegan. That’s right, there’s no butter or eggs in this recipe, but you’d never guess it.

How? Instead of butter, these cookies use melted coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil. The eggs are simply omitted with no downsides.

For non-vegans like me, this means that the recipe is even easier to make than standard chocolate chip cookies.

For those with dairy or egg allergies, these cookies are a total game changer.

The remaining ingredients are simple and wholesome. You’ll need whole wheat flour, chocolate chips, sugar, coconut sugar or brown sugar, and your basic salt and leavening agents. I sprinkled my cookies with some flaky sea salt to make them even more irresistible.

How These Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies Came to Be

I can’t take full credit for this recipe. I was intrigued by the original recipe offered in the Ovenly Cookbook, via Food52. I made several adjustments to their ingredients and method.

I swapped whole wheat flour for all-purpose, which is undetectable in the final product. I also substituted coconut sugar for brown sugar, which is less refined (for those wondering, it is impossible to make bakery-style cookies using liquid natural sweeteners). I experimented with oils other than canola, which is highly processed and high in omega-6s.

I also found a chilling time shortcut. If you scoop the dough onto the sheets and then chill it, 30 minutes in the freezer works just as well as their 24-hour recommendation. That way, the recipe works with coconut oil, which solidifies at cool temperatures.

Coconut Oil vs. Olive Oil

We should talk a little bit about how your choice of oil affects the final product. I didn’t notice any textural differences with any of the oils, but virgin coconut oil offers a slight coconut flavor. Olive oil tastes like, well, olive oil, especially when the cookies are warm.

If you enjoy the flavor of either of those oils on their own, I think you’ll love how they shine through in these cookies and make the flavor more interesting. I’m partial to coconut oil. If you want cookies that taste like standard bakery chocolate chip cookies, use refined coconut oil or a neutral oil like avocado oil or safflower oil.

Cookie Dough Safety Note

Since the dough is egg free, it doesn’t carry the usual risk of salmonella poisoning. However, raw flour can carry a slight risk for E.Coli or other pathogens. So, I don’t recommend eating this dough, either!

Here’s more information from the CDC about raw flour (thank you to Tara for sharing).

More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy

• Monster Cookies
• Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
• Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

Please let me know how these cookies turn out for you in the comments. I hope they become your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, too.

Watch How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Print

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Author:
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes chill time)
• Yield: 13 cookies 1x
• Category: Cookie
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

★★★★★

4.8 from 408 reviews

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe! These cookies are easy to make with basic, wholesome ingredients. No mixer required! They’re miraculously vegan, too (no softened butter here). Recipe yields 13 large cookies.

Scale

Ingredients

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips*
• ⅔ cup lightly packed coconut sugar or ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil**
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• Maldon flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine, then add the chocolate chips and toss to coat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut sugar, regular sugar, oil and water. Whisk until the sugar has incorporated into the oil and the mixture is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then stir just until combined and no more flour is visible (don’t overdo it).
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Fill an ice cream scoop two-thirds with dough (or spoon the mixture into even 2-inch mounds), and place the dough onto one of the prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving several inches of space around each cookie.
5. Freeze the cookies on their pans for 30 minutes, or chill them for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
6. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden, about 14 to 17 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and sprinkle the cookies with flaky salt, if using. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Ovenly’s Secretly Vegan Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies.

*Chocolate chip notes: I like Ghiradelli’s bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate chips. Use vegan/dairy free chocolate chips if necessary.

**Oil notes: You can taste the coconut or olive oil flavor lightly in these cookies. Use whichever one you prefer. For completely neutral-flavored cookies, use a neutral-flavored oil such as avocado oil or safflower oil.

Make it dairy free/vegan: Simply use dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand.

Make it gluten free: Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free all-purpose flour blend works great!

▸ Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.